Chapter 29

Lucius looked himself over in the mirror and picked off one last piece of lint. Everything was perfect. Some might accuse him of preening, but he had always prided himself on his appearance and everyone expected him to be impeccably dressed.

He knew that some might question why he was attending alone, but most would recognize that he still was not dating following Narcissa's passing. Of course, that was all about to change tonight. Witches who had shown restraint because he was still in mourning, would no longer show that restraint. But none of it mattered to him – there was only one witch whose attention he sought. And he intended to ensure that he received it.

While he was not one to blindly believe what was written in the gossip pages, he knew that there was always a kernel of truth hidden within the embellishments. And Rita Skeeter had been reporting that Hermione had been spending time with Gilles outside of work. While he did not believe the details of the conversation, since Rita had reported it had been in French and he doubted her fluency, it did bother him that this was the same wizard Hermione had invited to the Gala. While she might see him as nothing more than a coworker, that did not mean that Gilles saw her the same way. No matter what assurances she might give him, he still saw the younger wizard as his rival for her affections.

That was one of the reasons he had secured her divorce early and invited her to a celebratory dinner. He wanted to ensure that he had her attention. The kisses they had shared should definitely have been enough to let her know what his desires towards her were.

He caught a glint of gold in the mirror as he checked his appearance and looked at the gold band circling his ring finger. Narcissa had placed it there twenty-seven years, four months and nineteen days ago. He could remember his wedding as though it had happened yesterday. The only time it had been removed since was during his incarceration. When he had been released, she had returned the ring to its rightful place. This ring, this symbol of their love had kept him alone for the last three years. It was time to end that isolation. Slowly he took the ring off his finger and gripped it tightly in his hand, squeezing his eyes shut to regain control of his emotions. "It's time," he whispered. He then placed his ring next to Narcissa's in the jewelry box and closed the lid.

Checking the clock on the mantle he saw that the cocktail hour was nearly over, and it was time for him to make his arrival. He did not do this for any dramatic reason, but merely because he knew his presence was not entirely welcome despite the role Narcissa had played in bringing the Dark Lord down. Never mind the fact that he had essentially been a wandless prisoner following his release from Azkaban by the Death Eaters and had done nothing to directly aid the Dark Lord.

He rubbed his forearm, feeling the phantom pain, remembering the Dark Mark and everything he had been compelled to do as a result of that Mark. He had been young during the first rise and compelled by his father to toe the line and join the Death Eaters. All his life he had been taught that only the pure deserved to be in the wizarding world, and the Dark Lord was supposed to see that it was finally achieved. It had been an easy choice for him and his friends to take up the Dark Lord's cause.

Of course the Dark Lord had failed, but at that time there had been no shift in public sentiment towards those with Muggle heritage like there had been this time. He had still adhered to what he had been taught in his youth – pureblood supremacy. When the Dark Lord rose again, he had been forced to action. After all, once one entered the Dark Lord's service, you could not leave it.

He pushed those thoughts from his mind. He was a different wizard now, changed by his experiences during the second rise, by his year in prison, and it was time for him to him to make his appearance.

When he arrived at the Ministry, he had to make expected small talk with various members of the Ministry and industry. He did catch sight of Hermione and found her absolutely stunning. She was wearing an amazing dark green dress accented with simple silver jewelry. The dress hugged her every curve and announced to everyone that she did not consider her life over despite the divorce. He was proud of the boldness of the statement her clothes made, and he gave her a nod of approval when he caught her eye. He disapproved of her choice of escort, however. He thought that Gilles was paying her entirely too much attention, especially now that she knew how Lucius felt about her.

While he knew that she probably desired his company, now was not the time. He had his plan for the evening, and he would find her when the time was right.

During dinner, those at his table engaged in the sort of small talk that was the norm at this sort of function. After many years of practice, he had come to excel at this type of inane conversation. Throughout dinner and the ensuing interminable speeches, he kept flicking his gaze to Hermione, cautious of how much time that he did spend watching her.

He bided his time while the room was reset, careful to keep his distance from her. Once they were allowed back in the ballroom, he kept his distance from Hermione, dancing occasionally with the wives of important clients and certain Ministry officials, allowing her to share the first few dances with her friends.

When he saw that no one else was approaching her, he made his way through the dance floor to her until he was directly in her path. "May I have the pleasure of this dance?" he asked cordially when she stopped in front of him.

She looked longingly into his eyes. "Of course," she replied as she smiled warmly.

As the music started, he took hold of her hand and began guiding her around the dance floor. He saw her get lost in his eyes and the whole ballroom seemed to be theirs. Their dancing was effortless as she gave herself to him to follow his lead.

They danced the next song, Lucius giving anyone who had thoughts of breaking in a possessive glare. After their third dance together, he leaned close and whispered in her ear, "I think it's time to take a break."

She nodded in agreement, and he led her off the floor to a table near the back of the room where she fanned herself with a program while he went to get refreshments.

It did not take him long to get two glasses of Champagne. When he began walking back to where she was waiting, he noticed Ron Weasley standing before her, his body language exuding disapproval, and he frowned.

When he closed on the former couple, he put a pleasant smile on his face and handed her a glass of Champagne, saying warmly, "For you, my dear," and then turned to Ron the smile fading from his face. "Mr. Weasley," he said curtly as he stood protectively behind Hermione, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Ron glared at Lucius. "Get your hand off her," he demanded.

Hermione placed her hand over Lucius', signaling him not to remove it. "Ron, I think you should get back to your date. We aren't married anymore, and I can spend my time with whomever I please, and it pleases me to spend time with Lucius."

Ron was livid. "You can do a hell of a lot better than Lucius Malfoy!"

Lucius noticed a few of the nearby people staring at them.

"I won't have you causing trouble tonight, and you're making a scene," Hermione said coldly, keeping her volume low but firm. "This is a time of celebration and remembrance. Please go enjoy the evening with your date."

Ron looked between them a few times before he fixed his eyes on Lucius. "If you do anything to harm her, I'll make sure you live to regret it," he growled before leaving.

Lucius chuckled softly as he took the seat next to Hermione. "Charming, he truly is charming," he said sardonically. He knew that was likely to be first of many confrontations he would face from her friends as their relationship progressed.

"I don't want to talk about him," she replied simply before sipping her Champagne.

"Understandable. You are a lovely dancer, my dear," he said as he clinked his glass with hers. "Once we have rested, I would enjoy the honor of your company on the dance floor again." Actually he would have preferred leaving the ball altogether, but that was not an option without drawing the wrong sort of attention.

"I thought you would never ask," she said. "I'm glad you're here. You make this evening bearable."

"I could say the same for you," he replied softly as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, mindful that he not be too overt in displaying his affections.

Lucius was rather restrained the rest of the evening, standing aside to allow to her to dance with her old schoolmates and former Ministry coworkers. He did his best to maintain his pleasant demeanor when she shared another dance with Gilles. Only twice more did he dance with her, retaining her company for three songs both times, pushing the excepted norm of decency. At one point he noticed Draco watching them with a look of shock on his face, but he really did not care what anyone thought, not even his son.

As the evening wound down, Lucius gently led Hermione aside. "I hope that you will permit me to escort you home this evening."

"Of course. It has been a long evening, and I think it's time to leave anyway," she said, and he liked the hint of hopefulness in her tone.

He escorted her to the Apparition area and took them both to her flat. Once there, he pressed her against the door and gave her a passionate kiss. He was pleased to note that she was panting when the kiss ended.

"Did you want to come in?" she asked as she gained her composure.

"Yes, I want to, but I think it best if I don't. Our behavior at the ball garnered enough attention, and no need to set the gossips afire. I'll send you a letter." He knew that if he went into her flat, he would not be leaving until morning, and it was likely that someone would notice. With the ink barely dry on her divorce, that was not the sort of thing she needed in the paper.

He could tell that she tried not to look too disappointed. "Of course. I look forward to hearing from you."

He leaned down to give her another kiss. "Until later, my love," he said as he brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. He then Disapparated in a silent swish of his robes.

Despite the sexual frustration of the previous night, Lucius woke in a good mood. After all, there was no reason to hide his affections for Hermione any longer. After his morning routine, he prepared to go downstairs for a nice quiet breakfast and then he would send a letter to Hermione inviting her to dinner.

He opened his bedroom door to find Draco standing there with an angry look on his face and the Daily Prophet in his hand.

"How could you?" Draco demanded.

Acting as though he had no idea what his son was referencing, he adjusted his cuffs and asked innocently, "How could I what?"

Draco shoved the paper in Lucius' face, and he saw that there was a picture of him and Hermione dancing included in the pictures from previous night's ball. Deciding to be evasive until Draco asked a specific question, he took the paper and walked towards the stairs so that he could partake of breakfast. "It was a ball and it was expected for attendees to actually dance."

"That's not what I mean and you know it." Draco stopped his father as they went down the stairs, grabbed the paper and pointed at the picture. "That is a lot more than just a casual dance. Not to mention the fact that you danced with her several times during the night."

"I thought you wanted me to start dating again," Lucius said as he walked around Draco and continued down the stairs.

"But – but her?" Draco protested, clearly at a loss for words as he followed Lucius to the breakfast room.

"Why not her?" asked Lucius as he sat down and laid his napkin on his lap, waiting for his breakfast to be delivered. "She is ambitious, highly intelligent and quite attractive."

Draco sat in the opposite chair and waved off the house-elf that tried to bring him breakfast. "But you could have anyone and you pick Granger."

"And I ask you again, why not her?" Lucius was perfectly calm and composed as he ate his breakfast, rather enjoying Draco's overreaction.

Draco looked as though he was on the verge of an apoplectic fit. "She's my age! She was my classmate at Hogwarts."

"I don't see how that's an issue. It is very common for a wizard to marry a younger witch. In fact, I was the first Malfoy in quite some time to marry a witch near to my age. Not that it matters at the moment as I believe that any discussion of marriage would be quite premature."

"But you aren't ruling it out, are you?" Draco asked pointedly.

Lucius knew that this discussion was pointless. While Draco was not aware of the fact, he had already made up his mind. "Draco, I fail to see how my love life is any of your concern," Lucius said dryly.

"What about the family name!" Draco nearly shouted.

"Manners, my boy, manners. I know you were raised better than that. And what of it? I thought we had both progressed beyond the point where blood was used as a measure of a person. Besides, Hermione is a heroine to most of the wizarding world."

Draco leaned forward. "I'm talking about the divorce. Look at what happened to Aunt Delilah," Draco whispered.

"There is no need to whisper. And it is hardly fair to compare this to what happened to Delilah. I would say that Hermione's reputation came off quite intact. I believe that everyone's behavior last night shows that she is not a pariah, so I hardly see where scandal could come from. If her situation were scandalous, I doubt the Minister of Magic would have danced with her." He took a sip of his tea.

Draco gave him a calculating look. "How long have you been planning this?"

Lucius arched an eyebrow. "Is everything a ploy to you?"

"You just seem to have this very well plotted out: contacting Delilah, having an answer to all my questions," Draco said probingly.

Draco was definitely his father's son. "As I am sure you are aware, we dined together the other week. We learned we enjoy each other's company, and it is only natural that I would consider the ramifications of marriage if I am considering dating someone." He stared at Draco for a moment. "Would you prefer I choose someone whose only interest in me is how quickly they can spend the family fortune?"

Draco slumped back in his chair, admitting defeat. "No, but, Father, Granger?"

Lucius smiled. "For now our relationship is in its infancy. It is a bit premature to make assumptions about what will happen. After all, the two of us do have a bit of a tumultuous past."

"That's the other thing. I just can't believe that she would..." Draco trailed off as though realizing the hole he was digging for himself.

Lucius chuckled at his son's discomfort. "She has an excellent mind, and an open one at that. And of course I am very persuasive." He grinned slyly.

Draco gave his father a calculating look. "So what do you get out of a union with her?" he asked as though he was trying to determine what sort of advantage his father could gain.

"Happiness," Lucius replied truthfully.

"Happiness?" Draco asked incredulously.

"What else do I need? Business is booming. I have been restored to the wizarding world's good graces." He watched his son expectantly.

Rather than replying, Draco pushed the chair back and rose to his feet. "I should be getting back to Astoria and the inn."

"A pleasure chatting with you, Draco, and I'll send you an owl you about dinner later this week," Lucius called out as his son left. He smiled victoriously as he finished his meal. Draco had been easily handled, much more so than he had expected. And something told him that it would not be long before he saw Connor.

Lucius had been correct. Connor sent a letter by owl saying he was coming by around ten o'clock. And that was the first of many owls. As the letters were delivered to him, he saw the names of various pureblood, single witches. There were also a couple of letters from fathers offering their daughters since he seemed to be interested in a younger witch.

He opened a few for the entertainment value, and they were all similar. Each witch tried to make her case about why she deserved to be the next Mrs. Malfoy more than Hermione. Several referred to Hermione as a Mudblood, and he made note of who sent those letters, but most followed the standard formula of telling how pure their families were.

Strangely, he even received a letter from a woman offering to divorce her husband. He found that a bit disturbing and tucked that one away for safekeeping. After all, knowledge was power, and you never knew when information would come in handy.

Most he left in an unopened stack to be dealt with later. He had not realized how many eligible witches he would have throwing themselves at his feet. He shuddered at the thought of what would greet him at the next social event he attended.

When Connor arrived, he stacked the letters on his desk and instructed the house-elves to collect the rest and deliver them after dinner.

Connor took one look at the stack of letters and said, "That didn't take long. So what are you going to do about them?"

"Nothing. Hopefully a lack of reply will indicate my lack of interest," Lucius replied.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Connor asked skeptically.

Lucius sighed. "No, not in the least. I'm sure that as soon as I show my face in public, they'll be fawning all over me. Tea?"

"No, thank you."

"Something stronger, then?" Lucius asked as he went to the bar and poured himself a Scotch.

"It is a bit early, but I'll take some brandy." He took the proffered glass and sat on the sofa while Lucius leaned against the bar. "The two of you really seemed to be having a good time last night. I almost believed that you hadn't planned it all out."

Lucius arched eyebrow. "You accuse me of planning the evening?"

Connor chuckled quietly. "That was too perfect for you to have not planned it. Of course, I'm sure I'm the only one who felt that way since no one else knew how you felt about her. Oh, you should have seen the looks on everyone's faces." Connor laughed. "Venus Gibbon looked to be on the verge of fainting. And quite a few even sent their dates to try to cut in on you, but that glare of yours is quite menacing."

"I have spent years perfecting that glare." Lucius couldn't help smirking at the idea of standing the wizarding world on its head.

"Quite a bit of gossip as well. I'm surprised there was nothing more than the photo in the paper this morning."

"I'm not," Lucius replied as he grinned knowingly.

"Must be nice being you," Connor waxed. "So what now?"

"I ignore the harpies and continue courting Hermione," he replied matter-of-factly.

"I hope you warned her about what she's getting herself into," Connor said soberly.

"After the howlers she received following her divorce, I think she can handle herself. And we have discussed the fact that quite a few women are interested in dating me." Lucius had no doubt that Hermione knew what she was getting into. After all, she was a very bright witch.

"Well, I would have been over this morning, but Felicia was after me for information. I hope you don't mind, but I told her what I knew – well, not everything, but enough to satisfy her curiosity – so that she would let me leave the house," Connor said apologetically.

"So what doesn't she know?" Lucius asked pointedly.

"Well, I glossed over the fact that you ran into her while you were on vacation, but she knows the two of you have been friendly for some time. As far as she's concerned, you were quietly pining away for Hermione during the divorce process and being a good boy and waiting until it was finalized."

"And that would be the truth," Lucius replied simply.

Connor arched an eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe given the way the two of you were looking at each other during the evening."

"I assure you I was the perfect gentleman and never gave her so much as a kiss until her divorce was final." Of course there had been a few close calls, but he had maintained his composure and done nothing that would jeopardize their future.

Connor gave him a look that said he still wasn't quite sure he believed Lucius, but he did not pursue the topic any more. "Well, moving on, Felicia would like to have the two of you over for dinner next week. I told her I'd have to see which day is good for you." He saw that Lucius was about to comment and pre-empted him. "I have already explained to her that she needs to be on her best behavior and keep any disapproving comments to herself. I think she is genuinely curious as to why you would be so utterly smitten with Hermione."

Lucius was not sure about having dinner with the Greengrasses, but he knew that it would have to happen at some time. And this was as good a way as any to begin introducing her to his social circle. He hoped a successful dinner would lead to Felicia singing Hermione's praises to the other wives and help her become accepted. "I suppose that Friday is as good a night as any. And please, whatever you do, do not bring up the age difference or treat her like one of your daughters. You'll make it seem so sordid."

"Of course." Connor gave Lucius an appraising look. "I do have to say that being in love does suit you."

A/N: Thank you very much to beaweasley2 who has been a wonderful sounding board for this story. I cannot thank her enough for her input and catching some of the plot inconsistencies you get with a long and involved story. Also, thank you so much to those who have taken time to review. It really means a lot to me that so many are enjoying this. Thank you.